Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

stever

Cal just got married again (#4) to Los Angeles-based Icelandic Jazz singer Anna Mjöll Ólafsdóttir; saw him in the papers not long ago. Cal's 91, she's 42.

Cal's had a Ford dealership in Anchorage at least since 1980 when I moved there.

fintail

Interesting, nice catch old man :shades:

He had a location near Seattle back in the day too, same commercials as everywhere. IIRC along with Ford he also had Yugo and Suzuki franchises too, maybe Hyundai as well.

rayainsw

For anyone not familiar with Cal - clips from a bunch of his commercials ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOsLdT4slsk

ab348

Wonder if you got an extra deep discount for the scratches and dents on the hoods of those cars that the tiger was running across?

corvette

She looks young for 42. And he looks young for 91. :P

stever

91 is the new 71. :-)

akangl

Cal's had a Ford dealership in Anchorage at least since 1980 when I moved there.

Yup, the dealership has been there as long as I can remember. I've heard a lot of bad about his dealerships but we've purchased 3 cars from his Anchorage Ford dealership and had nothing but great experiences.

Sure is nice to have extra room in the yard although it looks a little empty without the big silver F-250.

stever

The one time I rolled in there, about 4 salespeople came running out before I could even spot a parking place. Yikes! I just rolled right back out. :shades: Wound have been a handy place to buy though, since I was within easy walking or bike riding distance and could have walked home after dropping the car off for service.

(Congrats on the new ride).

akangl

And you may have finally got to the point where you are firmly backed into the corner, and have to stay in this truck for a long time!

Actually we had a bit of equity in the Pilot and of course the F-250 was owned free and clear. So with equity and rebates we were able to put a nice down payment on the F-150. Now that doesn't mean I'm going to run out and trade it in, I'd rather keep it for a while. Had things been different with the Pilot I would have kept it, but I guess my feeling is if I have to pay for something, why pay for something I am uncomfortable with and really am not happy driving.

akangl

The one time I rolled in there, about 4 salespeople came running out before I could even spot a parking place.

Yeah they can be a bit aggressive, thankfully I had found a wonderful salesperson for the first 2 purchases (99 Ram 3500 and 04 Explorer) and got lucky again this time since my original salesguy was gone. Had the same sales manager all 3 times though, again, a really good guy.

rayainsw

So - engine size? Transmission specifics?
Please?

'....red candy metallic/pale adobe with black leather. The interior is not all black like the Pilot, its actually very classy...'

akangl

Usually stick to grey or black vehicles, but this red was just way too pretty to not like.

2011 F-150 Lariat, 5.0L V-8, 6-spd automatic, pretty much fully loaded except nav. The heated/cooled seats are a trip, never had seats with A/C before.

oregonboy

Okay then, it's time for a new pool... I pick Thanksgiving! :shades:

ab348

"...too big... hard to maneuver... bad on gas... no covered storage..."

I'll take the end-of-year sale time. Do they have "Lexus December to Remember" sales up there?

akangl

"...too big... hard to maneuver... bad on gas... no covered storage..."

Funny. Let's see, I drove an F-250 all last winter, so size isn't an issue, as my daughter pointed out, I could park that thing like a compact car. This isn't my first CC truck......had two 2004 Nissan Titans and a 2006 Ram 3500. Not to mention I routinely drove hubby's dually while pulling a 22' horse trailer.

Gas mileage, its pretty darn close to the Pilot.....17.2 mpg in mixed driving vs 19 mpg for the Pilot. The Pilot had 7500 miles on it, the F-150 has 320.

As for covered storage, it will get a toneau cover at some point in the next few months.

So, nah, none of those things will be an issue.

steine13

>>[..[why pay for something I am uncomfortable with and really am not happy driving?

As Jeeves would have put it: There is much in what you say.

Of course, that's an excellent question even while one is still at the dealership...

At any rate, put me down for Halloween!

Cheers -Mathias

roadburner

Great looking truck- enjoy!

roadburner

Probably wouldn't have to worry about getting killed on the bike because my wife would kill me as it was delivered to my driveway.

My wife is just happy that I chose to have a fling with something with two wheels- as opposed to two legs... :P

28firefighter

My wife is just happy that I chose to have a fling with something with two wheels- as opposed to two legs...

I'm the same way, except with Fire Trucks. My fiancee always jokes that if we're walking around and I turn my head to look at something, its likely an engine or ladder from the local fire department or sirens. At least my priorities are in order.

qbrozen

ya know... I certainly was not in any way DUE to punch my card... but, dammit, I did anyway today.

Well, if you've been watching my recent posts on the project cars forum, want to take a stab at what I may have left a deposit on today? Hint 1: it is a manual trans.

corvette

So, is it the Mustang or the 540? I'm not a fan of convertibles, but love the dark red color of that Mustang (and the ivory leather interior). Miles are kind of high, but the price seems good for a 2004.

stickguy

I'll go with the RX-8.

isn't a V8 Mustang convertible actually a not particularly good auto-X car?

mark156

Akangl.... Beautiful Truck!!

Congratulations!! I don't blame you, I wouldn't want to drive a 'new' wrecked car either!

Drive safe and keep an eye in your rear view mirror!!! :P

Mark156

akangl

Beautiful Truck!!

Congratulations!! I don't blame you, I wouldn't want to drive a 'new' wrecked car either!

Drive safe and keep an eye in your rear view mirror!!!

Thanks! So far I really like it, closing in on 500 miles, so have been doing a little driving. I still haven't had to fill it up yet, its decent on gas for as big as it is.

Bluetooth and Sync are very fussy, only things I 've noticed so far and I'll mention it when I go in for the free 3k oil change.

There's no way I'll get rearended again, I watch that mirror like a hawk.

payson

I need some advice please. My husband sold our third car, a wrangler last week, and is now looking for a new fun car. If you had 11K to spend would you get a BMW M3, or an Audi S4? Which years, pro, or con's, and alternative suggestions. His main criteria is it has to be a manual, and we would like it to be somewhat reliable, although it won't be a daily driver. Thanks for any advice.

stickguy

if those are the choices, and that is the price range, it is going to be well used and somewhat miley. Therefore, i would go with the BMW, though I would much more likely go with a non-M one (say a 330i).

payson

Thanks for the advice. Why a non-M one? He's thinking of 96-99 M3 with probably 100k-120k miles. We don't know anything about BMW's, but I see they are discussed in this forum a lot.

nippononly

I still haven't had to fill it up yet, its decent on gas for as big as it is.

It may just be that it has A REALLY BIG TANK. $100 fill-ups?! ;-)

That's a really nice color on your new truck - it's nice to see that not quite everything is silver or slate gray these days.

kyfdx

I think he is right on... for the budget and fun factor.. Be sure to include '95 models, as well....

Try to avoid the ones with performance mods or automatics... I'd also avoid convertibles...

While you can drop some money repairing an M3, the S4 would be much scarier, with less of an enthusiast, independent mechanic community to back you up... Plus, they are newer, meaning higher entry costs..

There are a lot of them to choose from.... study up, take your time and pay a little more for one that is well taken care of...

qbrozen

as someone who was recently looking for M3s, I can tell you that finding a non-automatic, non-convertible, unmolested example with less than 140k for that price is really, really hard.

I second the 330i option, especially one with the performance pack (ZHP package). Or, do what I did .... and here is the tie-in to answer the question posted above... what did Rob buy? A dark blue over black 2000 540i 6-speed sport package.

michaellno

Congrats to both you and Jolie for your new rides. What did you sell or trade to get the BMW, or is it an addition to the fleet?

Nothing new in the stable here. Just finished our vacation to Sedona and Santa Fe - 1800 miles and 22.5 MPG in the CX-7.

kyfdx

Well... I have a ZHP as my daily driver.... but, if I were looking for a fun (3rd) car, and my budget was $8K-$10K, I'd still go with the E36 M3...

Or... maybe even a 540i 6-speed!!

Congrats... we need pictures!

qbrozen

well, I couldn't find an M3 in that pricerange, personally. At least not one I would want.

Here is my car.

yup. lots o miles! But cleaner than many cars I've seen with half those miles. Interior is sparkling. Not to mention, those 540s seem to be pretty damned durable.

Going to pick it up after work.

kyfdx

That's awesome!

You always hear about how the V-8s aren't as well-balanced as the sixes, yada, yada, yada.... but, who cares once you hit the go pedal?

Nice job!

nyccarguy

Awesome car my friend! Good luck & have lots of fun with it!

rayainsw

Looks great - please post impressions
after you have driven it for a while?
Enjoy!
- Ray
BMW envy......

payson

Congrat's on your new car. It looks to be in really nice condition.

Thanks for the replies, we're going to look at some BMW M3's, & 330's in our price range. Will check back for more responses, and let you know if we buy something.

qbrozen

Thanks folks. It was a fairly long drive home, but mostly highway. The sport seat is quite stiff, I can say that much. Cruises nice on the highway. Gotta keep an eye on that speedo though cause you just don't feel the speed.

There is a fix I have to apply ASAP (something about removing a valve from the clutch hydraulics I'm reading about), which i'm led to believe will lighten the clutch. It also is in desperate need of a short shifter.

Power is great. Winds up really quick. Mileage readout is claiming I was getting over 25 on the highway, which I find hard to believe. We'll see.

28firefighter

Congratulations on the addition to your fleet. When/if you get bored, you should have no problem flipping it.

kyfdx

CDV... assuming it has one..

Doubtful that it will lighten the clutch any.... just make it engage more quickly...

akangl

It may just be that it has A REALLY BIG TANK. $100 fill-ups?!

That's a really nice color on your new truck - it's nice to see that not quite everything is silver or slate gray these days.

It does have a really big tank.......filled it up tonight.......$127! There is a bright side to that, it will go about 600 miles on a tank which is usually 2 weeks worth of driving for me. My daughter is in the hospital at the moment which means lots of 60 mile one way drives to visit her.

I like the color too, I'm not usually a red fan, but this has to be the prettiest red I've seen. The cops sure notice it too......

akangl

yup. lots o miles! But cleaner than many cars I've seen with half those miles. Interior is sparkling. Not to mention, those 540s seem to be pretty damned durable.

Congrats on the new ride. I love how BMWs look, if I was a car person I'd probably drive one. Enjoy it! Its beautiful!

qbrozen

Yup. That's the one. Engage more quickly is what I'm after cause it's very near the top of pedal travel now. Some folks have said it made it lighter, too, which kind of makes sense if you have one less valve to push fluid through and would just be an added benefit.

kyfdx

Smoother, quicker clutch action, yes... but, I've never heard of it fixing an actual problem.... Not sure it will make a difference on your clutch engagement point.

But, it can't hurt..

Not that familiar with the 5-series... .but, on the 3-series, they make a replacement valve, with the guts drilled out... Instead of just trying to connect the two ends, once you remove the valve.

All you need to know about CDV

qbrozen

oh sweet. You just saved me all my searching today. Thanks!

I'm hoping it lowers the clutch engagement point. If not... well... i guess the clutch may be nearing the end of its life, which I was afraid of. oh well. Why can't they just let us have a way to adjust the damned thing?! I really really hate "self-adjusting" clutches.

kyfdx

Yeah, the whole point of the self-adjusting clutch, is to keep the engagement point at the same spot, as the clutch wears...

They actually make a replacement clutch that doesn't self-adjust (after-market).... Hopefully, that will be a repair you won't have to make...

breld

Hey Q - what do you think the right price is on this 530i?

Silver 530i sport

It's the one I drove a couple weeks back (along with looking at the M3 at the same dealer, which they have apparently sold). I was quite smitten with it - but it just doesn't fill a need in the stable. Nevertheless, it still holds my curiousity. It has a few door dings, but nothing unusual or unexpected. The radio display isn't functional. It probably looks a lot better now than when I drove it - it hadn't made it through its detailing at that point.

qbrozen

funny. I was just reading about dead radio and cluster displays today. That'll cost you $300-$400 to put right. Tires appear pretty worn.

$10,500 is fair, given the needs (i mean, just those 2 things above are going to run you $1k as soon as you drive off the lot). $11k if you really must have it.

I'll give more detail for fun.... trade-in is $8k as is and $9k if everything is Ok and lot ready. Dealers typically mark up $4k. So here they've marked up $4k from the lot ready price ... but on a car that is not lot ready. I usually pay $2k-$2500 over the trade value... $3k if i get desperate or its a tough car to find. So there ya go. If this had no needs, then its $11k-$12k. Since it needs a grand of work (that we know about so far), then that knocks a grand off the price. Pretty simple.

Sure, salesfolk and GMs will huff and puff and whine ... but once I walk them all through it, they usually come around.

jayrider

Unless the clutch issue makes the car really hard to drive, I'd wait to see if you "learn" to deal with it for a few months. It can't be worse than my dad's 1926 Cadillac. Had to double clutch those old gear boxes and feel your way into the gears. Once you got adjusted to the beast, it was actually fun. I'd be reluctant to put bucks into the clutch unless it would guarantee an improvement. Sounds like the fix isn't a sure thing but hey -- it's your car [congrats] and your money. Enjoy.

stickguy

I like that. Just change it to a different color (inside and out), and put it near Philly, and I would be happy to pay 10K for it!

Oh, make it a wagon too.

so like I said, perfect except for not being a dark blue over gray or beige wagon in NJ.

wonder if you could find a wagon 530i sport pack stick? that would be a rare bird.

to make it easier, same car in a 3 series for a couple grand cheaper would be even better. At least it would have a usable cupholder.